Coronavirus: The majority of Americans can't work from home

Nearly 70% of workers have jobs that can't be done from home.

Author: Bob Garcia-Buckalew

Published: 11:03 PM CDT March 16, 2020

Updated: 11:03 PM CDT March 16, 2020

AUSTIN, Texas — More and more employees are being sent to work from home during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. But the majority of American workers have jobs that won’t allow them to work remotely.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 1-in-3 employees have the ability to work from home. Those people are more likely to work in business, management and finance.

But nearly 70% of workers have jobs that can't be done from home, including people who work in the leisure and hospitality field, health care, transportation and construction.

And since the majority of workers must do their jobs in public, they face a greater risk of exposure to the coronavirus and the risk of spreading it.

Another way to look at who's likely to take their job home: The U.S. Department of Labor found that the higher a person's education, the more likely they're able to work from home. With a grad degree, 46% can work from home. With a bachelor's degree, it's 32%. And 12% of those with a high school diploma are likely able to work from home.

These are challenging times for workers and business owners. That's why the Austin Chamber of Commerce is offering webinars on what business owners need to know about government disaster declarations – an effort to help employers navigate the uncharted waters of the extraordinary changes brought on by the coronavirus.